ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rest — what's left
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mug — a face
  7. cue — for pool
  8. mug — to rob
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. mug — a cup
  12. cue — a signal
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. capital — money
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. foot — a measure
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rest — a break
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com